Electrical help needed with unknown wires after dash removal

[5 Star Rising]

Wires from my rear defroster switch going up under dash/radio area. Where do I plug these?

[5 Star Rising]

1 hour ago, Miles said:

You may want to go through all of the dash wiring and make a wire list in a notebook or excel spread sheet (see example).  Basically what you need to do is document the wiring for current and future needs.

 

You can use address labels that you number and cut to fit the wire.  Loop the label around the wire and press the ends together. Take pictures after labeling and write down details in your spread sheet. Be sure to note what the wire does when energized. If you number a wire and don't know what it does, leave the function blank on the spread sheet and study the wire until you know what it does and then document it in the spread sheet.  

 

On my first 72 240Z, the PO cut/modified all of the engine bay wires. Using the above approach I corrected the wiring back to original function. From this point on I could identify every wire without a schematic.

 

The attached wire list was for my V8  conversion. For each wire in the list I applied power and noted on the spread sheet what happened at each position on the ignition switch/other switches before disturbing any of the wiring.

240z Wiring Tag Numbers Table.xls

I actually did what you said yesterday besides making a spread sheet. I wrote them all down and tested each one then labeled them with masking tape. This is how I was able to connect my power antenna, radio and map light. Also checking each circuit by pulling the fuse to see my test light turn off to see which circuit that wire was on. 

 

Just need to figure out where the rear defroster switch wires plug into and why my wipers dont work.

 

Oh and might take apart my clock and apply synthetic clock oil to the mechanical mechanism and see if it will come back to life. Then the interior is pretty much done for now.

[5 Star Rising]

21 minutes ago, 5 Star Rising said:

Wires from my rear defroster switch going up under dash/radio area. Where do I plug these?

Think   just found the power wire for my rear window defrost switch. I actually ran continuity from my meter from the back window red black wire and I picked up the continuity under the dash on the red black wire..duh...  

 

now I just need to find out where the green wire off the switch attaches to.. On the rear window the other wire is black and when I run continuity it seems as if that wire is going to chassis ground so I'm wondering if I could just tie the green wire off the switch to any ground source and be good

[5 Star Rising]

Update***  Forget the rear defroster system... Just found out the switch is bad in my console, not to mention the vertical defroster wires in my back window glass are pretty chowed any ways. Looks like this switch is just going to be for looks in the center console. Oh well dont plan on driving my car in the dead of winter anyway or leaving it over night somewhere out side for the window to get super fogged up. Now onto the wiper motor issue.

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Sorry guys I'm bouncing all over the place with things today with the electric system and PO hacking. So I'm wondering where the wiper motor relay is located on my early 71. I checked the passenger kick panel area and only see a hazard flasher and one other relay that looks like a wiper relay but has different wires going to it that are not on the FSM. I will recheck but I dont think there was any other similar plugs that I could have plugged in wrong but maybe.. damn.

[5 Star Rising]

So as far as the wipers go I think I have two problems. The switch and the motor.   I found my old switch that I replaced because the headlights didn't work.  I hooked that switch up and turned the dial for the wipers and now I can hear the relay click on the passenger side, my new Switch never made that relay click when I turn the dial also it doesn't feel as stiff as my old switch when turning it. So that sucks.

 

Then I bench tested the wiper motor in the car and got nothing, luckily I hoarded some Datsun Parts over the years and had another wiper motor.   I bench tested that motor and it turned on.  So I removed my motor out of my car and sure enough it was frozen solid I could not turn it over what so ever with a wrench or vise grips but the other motor I could spin around one direction.

 

Other than snapping a rusted bolt off in the process (always something) it looks to be a good replacement motor.  Looks like this motor has an an additional yellow wire for the lock I believe, but my car harness doesn't have a place for it..does anyone have info on this wire or how I can connect it?

 

Thanks

[5 Star Rising]

This is what I did and found out today about the wipers.

 

1. Turn ignition and wiper switch on and nothing happens, no relay clicking sound no wiper motor trying to turn..nothing

 

2. Installed old broken combo switch and turned wiper function on, now I can hear relay clicking on passenger side but no wiper motor coming on.

 

3. Bench test wiper motor and getting nothing, not a budge or sound. Found another 240z wiper motor in my shop, bench tested it and it turns on and spins.

 

4. Removed old wiper motor and confirmed it was seized, could not spin shaft with wrench, could in fact spin shaft on 2nd wiper motor.

 

5. Installed 2nd wiper motor in car, but this motor has a (6th) wire that is yellow, my car harness only has 5 wires (where would I hook the yellow wire and do I need it?)

 

6. Put back good headlight combo switch, turn ignition on and hear a loud buzzing sound coming from wiper motor possibly from relay that is mounted to the motor itself, this is with the wiper switch set to off and just turning on the key, can only shut it off by turning off the key.

 

7. Install old switch (with broken headlight function) back in car. Turn on ignition no buzzing, turn wiper switch one click and hear loud buzzing , turn another click and wipers turn on and buzzing goes away, turn another click and wipers go faster and buzzing still gone.

 

First click has buzzing and no wipers. 2nd and 3rd click seem to work.
I'm dealing with a lot of unknowns with these old parts. I have a spare wiper motor relay that mounts to the passenger side, not sure if it works or not, also I'm thinking of trying to take apart and build one good switch if that is possible. I have a extra yellow wire coming off this motor as well that I need figure out or leave alone. And need to figure out that buzzing.

 

Maybe someone could help me troubleshoot this. Sounds like i started with 2 or 3 different problems for the same circuit.

 

 

 

[5 Star Rising]

Today I tested my combo switch on the bench and got zero continuity through it in any position. I opened up the switch and noticed I was missing one of the spring loaded caps inside that push the switch blades up and down to make contact.

 

I rebuilt my combo switch using parts from another broken series 1 combo switch that I had. And installed it in the car and as soon as I turn my ignition on I hear that loud buzing coming from the relay that is mounted to the wiper motor body and for some reason my RPM gauge starts bouncing around randomly.. this is with the combo switch in the off position and just the key on. When I turn the wipers on the first click they come on like they should and the buzz goes away same with the fast speed setting.

 

I turned the switch back off and left the ignition on so the buzzing was still going and I started unplugging wires to see if the sound would go away.

 

First I unplugged the wiper relay harness from the relay and the buzz kept going, I then started unplugging the individual wires that go to the combo switch and it wasn't until I unplugged the main square harness plug from the combo switch that the buzzing sound went away. 

 

This buzzing sound happened for a bit with my old wiper motor/ relay also, and also with both combo switches and both wiper relays. I feel like something is back feeding power to that relay. Maybe I plugged something in wrong when I installed the dash back in the car.   Sucks.   

 

Well I had a seized wiper motor and a bad switch that are both working now, but got this buzz and erratic RPM gauge needle going crazy.  I remember that rpm  gauge doing this last year also randomly..